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Phoenix, AZ (November 9, 2014) –– The holiday season is rapidly approaching and one Valley organization is already working to give back to the community. NARPRO (Neighborhood Auto Repair Professionals) is teaming up with Packages from Home to ensure active military troops have a happy holiday season. Many active duty military personnel will not be home with family during the holidays, but Packages from Home works to provide troops serving overseas basic necessities and special treats to remind how appreciated and respected they are by their Nation at home.

Throughout all of November and December, all NARPRO shops will be supporting the troops by teaming up with Packages from Home. To participate, the community is encouraged to bring a comfort or care item to any NARPRO shop, which will then be collected and packaged off to troops in active duty. Along with these items, a coupon is available online at www.narpro.com and good for 10% off of labor for any auto repair service.

Worn tires can send a car into dangerous skids and spins on wet and icy winter roads. Checking tire pressure and tread depth monthly can help motorists keep tires in optimal condition, according to AAA.

“The two most important tire safety checks – a pressure reading and tread depth measurement – are very simple to do,” according to Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of Automotive Engineering. “If motorists spend about two minutes on each tire, they will keep their tires at peak performance.”

Monthly tire checks take two steps:

Rear-view camera systems improved rear visibility an average of 46 percent in AAA’s tests. These systems are intended to improve driver awareness of the area immediately behind the vehicle in order to reduce the instance of back-over fatalities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires a rear-view image in all passenger vehicles beginning in 2016, with full compliance by May 2018. AAA evaluated 17 vehicles across 11 manufacturers with factory-installed and aftermarket rear-view camera systems on a variety of vehicle body styles. The increased visibility ranged from a 36 percent improvement in smaller sedans to a 75 percent improvement in hatchbacks. Large trucks and sport utility vehicles scored in the mid-range of vehicles evaluated.

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Want to make your vehicle worth more when you're ready to resell? Learn AAA's 5 steps for a cleaner car!

Letting your gas tank run close to empty can put you in a dangerous situation and cause long term damage! Watch this video to learn why you should never risk running low on gas

Xander and Elizabeth talk about you, your bike and the rules of the road.

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Roadside air – especially along busy roads and highways – contains high levels of pollen, dust, soot and smog whose harmful effects are well documented. And children, with “young lungs”, are more sensitive to the effects of air pollution than adults. So if you are taking the kids to school or soccer practice with the windows rolled up the air quality inside a car often can be worse than the air outside – especially in heavy traffic.

Most vehicles start out with a “new car smell,” but there are other specific odors that motorists should never ignore. Identifying these suspect smells early on can help car owners be car care aware and avoid the hassle and expense of an unexpected breakdown, says the Car Care Council.

“Unusual smells can be the sign of serious, and potentially costly, trouble for your vehicle. By acting quickly and making necessary repairs, you’ll be able to breathe easy knowing there is no harmful damage to your car,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.

The Car Care Council recommends a sniff test of your vehicle to identify any unusual smells, including the following six warning signs: